


A New Adventure

by LuvBusters



Category: The Real Ghostbusters
Genre: F/M, Language, Unrequited Love, Walter really is a nice guy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-12 23:25:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19239211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuvBusters/pseuds/LuvBusters
Summary: When Egon admits his feelings of friendship to Janine, she has to find a way to be happy and move on.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [morganskye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/morganskye/gifts).



It was a cool and rainy morning in New York. Egon and Ray had made a grim discovery. To make things worse, Walter Peck has arrived for an unscheduled inspection of the containment unit. Egon and Ray came back upstairs, obviously concerned about something.

“Good morning, lady and gentleman…...Venkman,” Walter greeted the group coldly. 

“What’s wrong now, Peck?” Peter hissed. 

“You tell me,” Walter replied. “I thought it was time for a surprise inspection of your system. And, judging by the looks on Spengler and Stantz’s faces, I’d say it’s a good thing.”

Winston, Peter and Janine turned to see Egon and Ray joining them.

“What’s up, Spengs?” Peter asked, now serious.

Egon adjusted his glasses. “These readings show that the level of psycho kinetic energy has risen to a dangerous level. Our recent influx of calls have dissipated the capacity of the containment unit. Unless Ray and I can figure out a way to decrease these levels, the results will be astronomically bad.”

Walter looked at Ray for translation. 

“What Egon means is, we’ve been really busy lately and now the containment unit is too full. We’ve gotta fix it before it blows again,” Ray explained.

Peck’s face lit up like the Fourth of July. “Finally! I’ve got you guys by the balls now! Endangerment of the public! Not to mention the environmental damage this explosion will cause! I’m going to see to it myself that this ‘business’ of yours is shut down for good!” He screamed. 

“YOU SON OF A BITCH!” Peter yelled. He lunged forward to punch Peck, but he was held back by Winston and Ray.

Egon scrambled to get to Janine; she had obviously taken the news as hard as Venkman. Her face was as red as her hair, she was also lunging forward, her fingernails ready to strike. He moved quickly, holding Janine firmly by the shoulders. 

“PECK! YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!” Janine screamed.

“Easy Janine. Let’s go upstairs,” Egon said gently. He placed an arm around her waist as he escorted her towards the stairs. 

As they walked past Peck, Janine reached out, slapping him hard across the face, one fingernail lightly scratching him on the cheek. 

“Keep that up, Ms. Melnitz and I’ll see to it that you’re the first one looking for another job!” Walter screamed as he took a tissue from the box on her desk and dabbed his cheek.

Egon rushed Janine upstairs as she later collapsed into tears in the kitchen. 

Peck returned his attention to Peter, who had now calmed down, along with Ray and Winston. “How long do you have before this thing blows?” 

“Roughly twelve hours,” Ray replied. “We need to get started on a solution now. I have an idea; I just need to check with Egon to make sure it’ll work first.”

“Do it,” Walter ordered. “I’ll expect a full report in eight hours. Otherwise, I’ll shut you down and evacuate this entire area.”

After he left, ray headed upstairs to the lab. Winston and Peter followed. Janine was in the rec room calming down with a glass of water lightly spiked with some of Peter’s stashed whiskey. Egon joined the others in the lab. 

“How’s Janine?” Peter asked. 

“She’s better. I gave her some water mixed with a bit of your whiskey,” Egon smirked. 

“Good. Thanks,” Peter smiled.

“How do we fix this?” Winston asked. 

“Yeah. We’ve got about twelve hours before critical mass and Pecker wants an update in eight,” Peter updated Egon. 

******************************  
Seven hours later:

Janine had taken down the information on the few calls that had come in, promising the callers the guys would get started as soon as they correct a technical problem with the equipment. 

Like clockwork, Walter Peck called at exactly the eight hour mark. Janine gave the phone to Peter; he had told her earlier to let him be the one to give the news. 

“So, Mr. Venkman…..what’s the verdict?” Peck asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Well, sorry to ruin your plans for the hostile takeover, Wally, but our resident mad scientist and his assistant have managed to alleviate the pending disaster,” Peter said, pausing for dramatics. “In other words, THEY FIXED IT SO BACK THE FUCK OFF! WE’VE GOT WORK TO DO!” He then slammed the phone down, giving Janine a high five, who looked just as pleased. 

Janine handed the slips of call information to the guys, handing some to Peter, Ray and Winston. Egon was still in the lab. 

“Come on, Iggy! We’ve got calls!” Ray yelled up to the ceiling. 

By the time they had their jumpsuits on, Egon came downstairs, PKE meter in hand. He put on his jumpsuit and settled in the back of Ecto-1. Within seconds, they had pulled out, heading to work. Janine smiled, hoping they’d all come back safely.

It took nearly five hours, but the guys finally returned to the Firehouse. They were thoroughly tired and ready for a much needed break. 

Ray and Winston took the traps downstairs to the improved containment unit. Peter headed straight for the shower. Egon was hooking up the packs to charge. Janine, who has had a huge crush on him, stepped over to help with charging the packs. 

“Thank you, Janine,” Egon said, giving her a genuine smile. 

“Sure! Didn’t seem fair you doing this all by yourself,” Janine gushed. “I hope Peck didn’t upset you too much.”

“I have learned to take what Mr. Peck says and let it ruminate mentally before making decisions,” Egon replied. “I hope you’re feeling better?”

“Yes, that drink really helped. Thank you for taking care of me,” she cooed, lightly running her fingertips on his forearm. 

Egon, who looked extremely uneasy, took Janine gently by the hand. “Janine…..I…..I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Then don’t,” she purred seductively. 

“But, I don’t think I can…..well….you are the best office manager in New York. And you’re a wonderful woman…..,” he trailed off.

By this point, Janine had pulled away from Egon, her heart pounding as she readied herself for what he was about to say. “But?”

“But,” he took a deep breath. “I’m afraid I do not have the same feelings for you as you obviously have for me.”

Janine felt like she had been kicked in the stomach. But she was determined to not break down...not here, not in front of Egon. “I see.”

“I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to falsely lead you on. I do consider you a very close friend,” Egon smiled, hoping that would somehow help ease the tension. 

Janine returned the smile. “Of course. I’m sorry I’ve acted inappropriately. It won’t happen again.” She returned to her desk. 

Egon walked up to her desk. “I don’t want to leave here knowing I’ve upset you.”

Janine looked up at him, blinking the tears back. “It’s fine, really. It’s never easy getting rejected, but at least I still have you as a friend and employer. That means a lot to me. It’ll take some time but I’ll be alright. I am a Brooklyn gal, ya know?” She gave him a sly wink. “Now, go back to work. I’ve got stuff to do.”

Two days later, the guys got a call that took them to upstate New York. They’d be gone for at least three days so Janine settled in, eager to get her paperwork caught up. On Day Two, Walter Peck returned for another surprise inspection. Janine looked up as he walked across the garage area. 

“May I help you?” She greeted him, but not with the usual bite in her voice. 

He noticed it immediately but didn’t say anything about it. “Good morning! I thought I’d stop in for another inspection of the unit?” He looked around, realizing the vehicle was gone. “Are they out on a call?”

“Yes, they won’t be back until the next day or two,” Janine responded as she stood. “It’s ok. I can show you what they’ve done.”

Peck followed Janine down to the basement as she led the way to the containment unit. She led him up to the front of the system. 

“This is the new safety grid that Egon and Ray added,” she explained. “They modified it so that it will notify them ahead of time if the levels even start to look unstable.”

“Notify them?” Peck asked for clarification.

“An alarm will sound.”

“How much advanced warning?”

“They will have a week to make modifications once the alarm sounds,” Janine explained. She continued to point out the other modifications made along with some additional components that helped make the unit more reliable, including a thorough explanation of everything. 

Walter was very impressed with Janine’s knowledge of the equipment. “You know quite a bit about all of this. I may have misjudged you, Ms. Melnitz.”

She just smiled. “I believe in knowing who you work for as well as how everything works, Mr. Peck. In situations like this, when the guys are out for a few days, it’s nice to know that I feel confident enough in the event of an emergency.”

“I agree,” Walter said. “I’m sorry for my behavior towards you a few days ago.”

“I’ll let Dr. Venkman know!”

“Uh...no. I’m only apologizing for my behavior towards you, Ms. Melnitz. I’m still mad at Venkman.”

Janine smiled again as they began to go back upstairs. As Walter was preparing to leave, he stood by Janine’s desk. “Thank you, I will send you a copy of my finished report. It will actually be a good one this time.”

“Have a good day, Mr. Peck,” she said, her voice still uncharacteristically calm and polite. 

Walter could no longer take it anymore. He had to know what had caused her change in attitude. “Is everything ok? I mean, usually, you would’ve greeted me with a menacing glare. And you would never have been this polite and professional. Forgive me but do you need to talk?”

Janine looked up at him, tears threatening to fall. She bit her bottom lip as she quickly decided whether she wanted to divulge her real feelings to him. Her control shattered when Walter sat down in a chair in front of her desk and handed her his handkerchief. 

She dabbed at her eyes, trying not to smear her makeup and took a deep breath to calm her nerves. “I’m sorry. I’m not usually like this. It’s just….this is what I get for allowing myself to become attached to someone who doesn’t feel the same way.”

Suddenly, he understood completely. Walter has always suspected there was something going on between Janine and one of the Busters; he just didn’t know which one. 

“I’m sorry to hear that. But Dr. Venkman doesn’t seem to be a one woman man to me.”

Janine actually laughed. “Ha! No, it’s not him. Soooo not him!”

“Ahhh, I see. Dr. Spengler,” Walter said.

Janine just sighed heavily. “I’ll be fine. Thank you for your time.”

Walter stood, preparing to leave. “Call me if you need anything,” he said while handing Janine his business card. “My personal number is on there. Seriously, if you just need to talk - call. Don’t hesitate.”

She took the card, slipping it into her purse. “Thank you.”

He smiled and headed towards the door, wondering why he suddenly felt the need to buy flowers.

**************************  
Another two days later, the Ghostbusters returned from their call from upstate New York. Janine had been able to catch up on her paperwork. The phones had been blessedly quiet so the guys could actually get some rest. 

As they all spread out to different tasks, Janine gave them all warm smiles. Ray took the traps down to containment; Peter and Winston took care of charging the packs. Egon dropped off the receipts and notes for the case file at Janine’s desk. He could still see that she was upset. There was a slight hint of sorrow in her eyes. He felt horrible, but he thought he had done the right thing in telling Janine that he simply wasn’t attracted to her. He had discussed it with Peter during their trip. Peter had told him that it would take her a while to get past it. Janine’s feelings for Egon ran deep, and she wouldn’t get over that overnight. But he had also reassured Egon that he had done the right thing; don’t lead her on giving her false hope. 

Shortly afterwards, Egon had taken his turn getting a shower. Janine had a question about one of the receipts but wasn’t aware Egon had just left the bathroom wrapped in nothing but a towel. He had forgotten to take fresh clothes to the bathroom. He was on his way to the bunk room when Janine almost ran into him.

“Oh! Egon!” She said startled at first. Then, her eyes drifted to his midsection, noting his finely toned abs. She then remembered that he was not someone she could have so she quickly turned her head. 

“I’m sorry; I forgot to take a change of clothes with me to the bathroom,” Egon apologized.

“Oh! No problem! I….I….Umm...had a question about a receipt but just see me later….when you’re….you know,” Janine trailed off.

Egon smiled as she rushed back downstairs.

*************************  
Janine was never so happy for five pm than she was that day. She had been replaying seeing Egon in a towel all day and it was driving her crazy. And not in a good, sexy way. She cried the entire drive home. Her hopes for a relationship with Egon had been dashed, leaving her feeling rejected and profoundly alone. 

She reached her apartment and collapsed into her recliner. She threw her purse across the room in anger. “Shit! Now I’ve gotta clean that up,” she mumbled. 

Janine walked across the room and started picking up everything that had spilled out of her purse. She saw the business card Walter Peck had given her. He had told her to call anytime if she needed to talk. She sat there for a moment, considering if she should. She finally made her decision. 

In a posh loft apartment in Manhattan, Walter Peck’s phone rang. “Hello?”

“Mr. Peck? It’s Janine. I need to talk.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Janine turns to Walter for help in dealing with Egon’s rejection.

“Good evening, Ms. Melnitz!” Walter replied, although shocked she had actually called. He then remembered he had given her his business card. He suddenly became quite concerned. “Are you alright?”

“Not really,” she replied, her voice shaky.

“Have you eaten?” Walter asked.

“No, I don’t really want anything,” Janine replied sadly.

“It’s not an option. You must eat. Are you familiar with Queen on Court Street?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll meet you there by 6:30,” Walter said.

“O-ok” Janine replied meekly. She wasn’t sure if this was a date, and if it was, what would the guys think?! Fraternizing with the enemy?

“Oh well, I need someone to help talk me down,” she thought. She got up and went to her bedroom to pick out something appropriate to wear.

**********************  
Forty-five minutes later, Walter Peck met Janine outside of the Queen restaurant. He was wearing a nice dress shirt and dress pants. But he didn’t have on a tie or jacket. The top two buttons of the shirt were left unbuttoned. 

Janine had worn a blouse and skirt ensemble not quite as short as she normally wears. She was wearing flats instead of heels. 

Walter greeted her and the waiter showed them to a table tucked away in a corner. He took their beverage orders and gave them menus. Once the waiter was gone, Walter looked at Janine. He could tell she was desperately trying to hide her emotional pain but failing. He was fairly good at reading people, and Janine looked like she was on the verge of a meltdown.

“Ms. Melnitz….,” he began. 

“Please, just Janine,” she politely insisted.

Walter nodded. “Janine….what’s going on? This seems to be more than just a broken heart. And it must be serious if it’s affecting you like this.”

Janine took a deep breath to steady her nerves. “Well, you’ve already guessed the problem.”

“Dr. Spengler? Your interest in him?”

Janine nodded. “I kept thinking he was just shy, but just recently, he admitted he wasn’t interested. Not like that.” She teared up again but maintained her composure. 

The waiter returned to take their orders. 

“I’ll have the lasagna with a side salad, raspberry vinaigrette, white wine, please,” Walter said. 

“Very good, and you ma’am?” the waiter asked.

“I’m really not that hungry,” Janine replied, closing the menu and handing it back to the waiter.

“She will have the grilled chicken salad with light oil and a glass of white wine, please,” Walter ordered for her. 

She looked at him, her face reddening. Walter just gave her a stern glare. “Don’t argue with me; you need to eat.”

The waiter nodded, took the menus and left. 

“I do not appreciate being treated like a child!” Janine hissed, careful to keep her voice down. “If I wanted something, I would’ve ordered it! I don’t need to be handled!”

Walter leaned forward, staring into her blue eyes. “I am not treating you like a child, although I will if you continue to act like one! You obviously haven’t eaten anything substantial in a while. And I will handle you until you prove to me that you can behave.” He then sat back in his seat.

Janine calmed down. “Sorry. I’m just frustrated. And...wait! Whaddya mean it’s obvious I haven’t eaten lately?!” her face reddening again.

“Your complexion is very pale, and there are the beginning signs of dark circles under your eyes. You look weak, a glassy look. And I’ve noticed three times since we’ve arrived that you’re trembling,” Walter pointed out.

Janine sat back, relaxing, biting her bottom lip to keep from crying. Shortly after, the waiter arrived with their food. The two sat there, silently eating. Janine was picking at her salad, pushing some lettuce around on her plate with her fork. 

Finally, Walter couldn’t stand it any longer. “Janine, please, you called. What do you need?” His heart was breaking as he watched her.

She looked up at him, tears starting to trickle down her face. He sat there quietly as Janine dabbed her eyes with the napkin, reigning in her emotions. 

“I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I didn’t know what to do. There’s nobody else I can really talk to. You don’t wanna hear this…..,” her voice trailed off. “I’m sorry to have wasted your time; I’ll pay for the salad.” She grabbed her purse. 

Walter reached over and grabbed Janine’s wrist. It was a firm grip but not enough to hurt. “Janine! Don’t go!” 

Janine was shocked by the look on his face; he almost looked panicked. She sat back down. 

“Please, tell me exactly what you’re feeling,” Walter said softly.

Janine took a moment to find the right words. “It’s never easy getting rejected, but this really hurt. I mean, really hurt. This was more than just a silly school girl crush or simple infatuation. I was in love with him!”

Walter clenched his jaws. “How can that son of a bitch treat you that way?!” 

“Please, don’t say that. It’s not Egon’s fault. Actually, I appreciate the fact that he told me now instead of letting it drag on. But, I still feel….alone. Very alone.”

“You’ll never be alone, Janine,” Walter said gently. He didn’t mean to say it out loud but now, it was too late to take it back. 

Janine looked at him confused. “What do you mean?”

“I...well….what I meant was…..,” he sighed. “You are an attractive woman. It won’t take long to find someone who will treat you the way you deserve.”

“And how is that?” Janine asked, a warm smile starting to form. 

Walter smiled, too. “Like a true lady.” It was then that he realized he was still holding her by the wrist. He slowly released her. 

“Thanks,” she said, blushing prettily. She then picked up her fork and resumed eating her salad. 

Thrilled to see her finally eating, Walter resumed eating his lasagna. 

They continued their evening together over dinner, enjoying light chit chat, even a little laughing. 

As they prepared to part ways outside the restaurant, Janine gave Walter a light touch on his arm. “Thank you for everything. I feel better.”

“I’m glad,” he said, placing his hand lightly over hers. “Call me again….anytime. And you don’t have to be upset.”

Janine blushed again. “Goodnight, Mr. Peck.”

“If I’m on a first name basis with you, then you should be with me,” he said warmly.

“Goodnight…….Walter,” She said. It felt weird but it also felt right. “Do I still give you hell when you come by the firehouse?” She couldn’t help but giggle.

Walter smirked. “Yeah, although I wouldn’t mind seeing Venkman’s face if he knew we….get along.”

Janine laughed out loud. “I wouldn’t mind that myself! He’d shit a brick!”

Janine caught a cab, which Walter paid for, and headed home. He smiled as he drove his car back to his apartment. He never realized how fun Janine could be. 

Over the next three days, Janine received a beautiful bouquet of lilies at work. The card simply read, “To a true lady.” The guys were definitely curious, but they were mostly relieved to see Janine was happy. They were genuinely happy for her. 

Janine didn’t know where this was headed, but she looked forward to this new adventure.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Janine is involved in a car accident; Egon discovers her relationship with Walter.

Almost two months had passed since Janine had called Walter Peck and confided her feelings for Egon with him. They had enjoyed a nice dinner, then went their separate ways. The next day, a bouquet of lilies were delivered to her at work. She knew they were from Walter; the card attached had simply read “To a true lady,” something he had said earlier to her the evening before. 

She, of course, hadn’t said anything about it to the guys. They would have a coronary if they knew she had been seeing Peck, especially Peter. Egon had obviously felt awful for being honest with her about his feelings for her, or lack of. But she had assured him that she was ok. It was a lie at first, but after these past two months, she really was starting to feel better. 

Spring had almost arrived; the weather had improved, the days were warmer. Walter had taken Janine for a leisurely stroll in the park at lunch. 

“Thanks for this lunch break, Walter,” Janine said as she checked her watch. “This is exactly what I needed after such a hellish morning! But I’d better be headed back, or the guys will send a search party for me.”

“What happened this morning?” Walter asked worriedly. “Venkman isn’t working you to death, is he?” His expression turned slightly abrasive. 

“No, just the phones have rang nonstop and I can’t get caught up on my paperwork. But it finally slowed down,” Janine reassured him. “But I really do need to get back.”

As she started to walk away, Walter grabbed her arm firmly yet gently and pulled her back towards him. “Hold on,” he said softly. He leaned in and kissed Janine tenderly on the lips. It wasn’t a long kiss but quite meaningful.

Janine smiled as they broke the kiss. “Wow!” She cooed. 

“I’ll call you later?” Walter said, grinning like a love struck teenager.

“You’d better!” She replied, giving him a sly wink.

*************************  
Later that afternoon, Janine was preparing to leave.

“And just where do you think you’re going?” Peter teased. 

“I’ve got to drop the mail off at the post office, and I’ve gotta get there before it closes,” Janine explained in a matter of fact tone.

“Oh, ok. See ya in the morning!” Peter replied.

“Bright and early, Dr. V!” She waved to Winston and Ray as she walked past Ecto-1. 

“Night, Janine!” Ray called.

“Later!” Winston added.

Janine had just left the post office and was headed to her apartment. She was driving through the intersection on a green light when suddenly, a delivery truck came barreling through on a red light. The truck slammed into the driver’s side of Janine’s car. She screamed as a piece of metal from the car door was pushed into her upper thigh. The seatbelt had rubbed a raw spot on her neck and shoulder but helped keep her from being slammed through the windshield. The force of the impact caused her head to hit hard against the window, knocking her unconscious. 

It wasn’t long before police and rescue personnel arrived on the scene. One of the officers recognized Janine to be the Ghostbusters’ secretary and notified them right away of the accident.

By the time the guys arrived at the hospital, Janine was getting settled into a room. The doctor had ordered xrays to be done and she had just been assigned a room.

“How ya feeling, kiddo?” Peter asked as he stepped up to the bedside. 

“I’ve felt better, but considering the shape my car is in, I guess I’m ok,” Janine mumbled. 

“She’s been given a pain medication,” the nurse told them. “She has a dislocated shoulder and a moderate concussion. But, she was lucky. She’ll be fine.”

“Thank goodness!” Winston sighed. 

Egon tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. Janine looked up at him. “Can you let Wal….I mean, Mr. Peck know?”

“What the hell does he need to know for?!” Peter asked. 

“I….I have a meeting scheduled with him tomorrow,” Janine lied. 

“You HAD a meeting,” Egon said. “It’s likely you’ll be here for a few days.”

“Please, will you let him know?” she pleaded. 

“Of course,” Egon smiled. 

The guys left soon to give Janine time to rest. Egon kept his word and called Walter as soon as they returned to the Firehouse. After hanging up the phone on Janine’s desk, he noticed the book she had been reading on her breaks laying by the computer monitor. 

“Hmmm, I’ll take this to her. She’ll probably like to read while she’s at the hospital,” Egon thought to himself. He picked up the book and told the others where he was going. 

Soon after, Egon was walking down the hall to Janine’s hospital room. He paused as he saw Walter Peck leaving her room. Walter caught a glimpse of Egon out of the corner of his eye and turned to see him.

“Mr. Peck?” Egon greeted, confused. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

“Ah, yes, Dr. Spengler!” Walter replied, hoping the look on his face didn’t betray the words he was saying. “Well, I thought I’d come by after you called. Just a PR thing.”

Egon smiled. “Yes, I assume your meeting with Janine scheduled for tomorrow has been cancelled?”

Walter looked a bit confused at first but quickly put two and two together. “Yes! Of course!”

Egon walked up to Walter, handing him the book that had been on her desk. Peck took it, looking even more confused. 

“I was bringing Janine’s book to her. She’s been reading this one lately during her breaks at work. Since she’s going to be here for the next few days, I thought she’d like to have it with her. Why don’t you take it in to her?” Egon gave Walter a knowing smile. 

Walter’s expression changed to a sheepish grin. “That obvious, huh?”

“I honestly had no idea until our visit here earlier,” Egon admitted. “We knew she was seeing someone, but we had no idea who. But she made me promise to call you to let you know she was here. And now, seeing the look on your face as you were leaving the room, I knew you two must be seeing each other.”

“How do you know the look?” Walter asked, curious. 

Egon’s smile faded. “Because it’s the same look I used to see on Janine’s face when she looked at me.”

Walter’s heart thudded hard. “Look, I didn’t plan this…,”

Egon held up his hands as in surrender. “No! It’s fine, I promise! I told her a while back that I couldn’t reciprocate her feelings. I felt awful but knowing she was dating someone else helped me feel better. And now, knowing it’s you…..,”

“Yes….?” Walter asked hesitantly. 

Egon smiled. “I know she’s in good hands.”

Walter breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks. Just do me a favor? Don’t tell Venkman? At least, not yet.”

Egon chuckled. “Of course.”

Walter turned to go back into Janine’s room as Egon was walking back down the hallway. 

Egon turned and looked back over his shoulder. “But, Mr. Peck?”

Walter stopped and faced Egon. “Yes?”

Egon arched an eyebrow. “If we find out you’ve mistreated her in any way, you’ll have the four of us to contend with. She’s like family to us. And we always take care of our own.”

“You won’t have to worry about that, Dr. Spengler,” Walter said with a smile. “Like you said: she’s in good hands.”

Egon nodded and continued down the hallway, headed back to the Firehouse. 

Walter entered the room. Janine was trying to get comfortable. Her pain medication was kicking in. Walter stood by her bedside, wishing he could take away her pain. The bruises on her face didn’t seem to be as dark as before. She looked up at him. 

“My book! What did the guys say when you stopped by?” Janine asked worriedly.

“Oh no! Dr. Spengler brought it by. We saw each other in the hall,” Walter replied light-heartedly. 

“Oh no,” she moaned. 

“It’s ok,” Walter assured her. “He’s promised not to say anything. At least, for now. He was quite happy about it actually. You’re very fortunate to have these guys care about you the way they do. Like a family.”

Janine smiled. “Yeah, but family isn’t exactly what I need sometimes.”

Walter took her hand lightly in his, bringing it up to his lips and gently kissed her knuckles. “Yes, that’s where I come in.”

Janine smiled, her eyes getting heavy. “I’m falling in love with you,” she whispered. 

“Good. Because I’ve already fallen in love with you,” Walter admitted softly. He leaned down and placed a tender kiss on her lips. “Get some rest, darling. I’ll be here when you wake.”

Janine allowed sleep to overtake her, slipping into a peaceful slumber. She now knew everything was going to be alright.


End file.
